Is Joe Rogan wrong that you can’t parry and catch a straight punch?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I used to do it in full contact fighting, not just against one, but against two ranked black belts. I could catch anyone's punch back then and apply wrist locks and elbow and shoulder throws, etc.

Now we have Joe Rogan, the sports analyst, making false accusations against Aikido and JJJ practitioners and claiming it doesn't work. I know first hand that it does work, because i trained in it for 6.5 years in total and used to be able to do that, at least before I got sick.

Most fighters don't even know how to observe their opponent's body mechanics to properly anticipate and intercept a punch or kick. It's one of the first concepts taught to lower kyus in Isshinryu Karate, how to watch and anticipate enemy movement. If you can't do that, then yeah, I'd buy the claim you can't block a straight punch. Problem is I know what to look for in terms of body mechanics and MOST pro fighters, much less street thugs, but most PRO FIGHTERS have a bad telegraph to their punches. You might hit me with your jab one time, but if you throw it again, I'll catch it.

I'm more of a trapper/counter-puncher, not a volume puncher. I find the person who is most precise and waits for opportune counter-attacks wins the most. I prefer to fight at what I call "trap-kicking range": Where I'm just close enough to grab someone by their wrists, but not at "real grappling range". From here, I can work the body with kicks and knee strikes while controlling one or both of the opponent's arms with one or more wrist locks or elbow locks. I did that for years, and I was so good at it that sometimes Sensei banned me from doing it during sparring, just so we could work on other techniques.

The claim that Aikido or JJJ "Doesn't work" or that you literally cannot block a straight punch, really just makes Joe Rogan look foolish.

It's a matter of observation, anticipation, and timing. Even a boxer will tell you "Timing beats speed".

[Just_Ken]

Against a trained fighter no it won't work. Against some guy on the street, possibly depending on the guy and too much can go wrong.

[DryGermanGuy]

Joe Rogaine is wrong about lots of things as he is just an uneducated schmuck with opinions. 🙄

[AI Opinion]

Joe’s not completely wrong, he’s just talking about a different context than what you trained in.

In sparring or traditional full‑contact with big gloves and predictable entries, you can absolutely parry, catch, and flow into locks and throws if your timing and reading are sharp. I’ve done similar “catch and counter” stuff in tennis with serves, same anticipation principle 🎾

Where Rogan has a point is high‑level MMA or chaotic street fights: tiny gloves, feints, level changes, elbows, clinch, takedowns, plus punches coming in combinations. Standing there trying to “cleanly catch” a straight right is usually a bad percentage play under those rules and chaos. Fighters prioritize defensive shapes, head movement, small parries, angling off, and counters, not extended limb captures.

Your experience shows Aikido/JJJ concepts can work against committed, single or predictable attacks at a given range and ruleset. His criticism is more about people claiming those same techniques will work reliably against elite, resisting MMA strikers. Both can be true, just different environments and risk levels ⚔️

[SeekerOfTruth007]

NO, bot. You're wrong.

We were sparring in 2oz gloves in a FULL CONTACT fight. In particular, my black belt test was a FULL CONTACT 1vs2 handicap match against two ranked martial artists, by the syllabus, that is the only way to do it. I won it with a combination of skills and techniques, which totally shocked even my instructors. Sensei had to call me off of them, not the other way around, because I easily controlled the first black belt long enough to disable him, and then it turned into a 1vs1 between me and the 235lbs Marine Corps Veteran black belt, which I quickly overpowered him too.

The bot on this website should stick to discussing topics it actually conceivably has experience in.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Dumb bot. I fuck up MMA fighters. I have a lifetime winning record against them by any rules set.

[Iron_Man]

Would you fight Steven Seagal and party the night before?